So Sleepy

Going at life 497 miles per hour has finally caught up with me. DVRing Teen Mom and getting to bed early tonight. See you tomorrow for What I Wore Wednesday!

Just another manic Monday...

Nothing says too busy for baking than a dinner of one slice of cold pizza, a half-eaten box of take-out Chinese, and a big doughy piece of Hawaiian bread {which was, by the way, the best part of the meal} - and, most of which, I shared with Beckham. I haven't taken your advice and broken out the old crockpot yet, though I do intend to, but I honestly haven't had the time to scroll through your recipes and blogs to locate ones that we would eat and that I have food for in the house. Plus, B just rearranged his schedule tonight to accommodate an evening class, so he's picked me up from school, we went to get Becks from his Nana's, and then he was out the door again for a three hour business class.

Did you catch the part where I said that B picked me up from school? Oh, yeah, that's because his car is D-E-A-D, dead. And that is just what we need right now. I went to start it this morning and I got nothing. Not even a light came on. And we replaced the battery in February of this year. So over that car (see this post #6.) Naturally, the car that is now dead is also the car that we paid off in January. The car that needed to be around for, well, a long time. I'm not sure what we're going to do. Play the lottery, maybe?

And, for posterity’s sake, here’s a pic of Beck taken yesterday, compared with a picture beneath of him taken exactly a year before on the same date. What can I say, he’s a man of many hats…

Our life lately...

Hi there!  Yes, it's been awhile.  I have been pretty much non-stop around here lately.  The blending food stuff is going great.... very time consuming, but WELL worth it.  I think Tripp has gained close to about a pound since I started.  And overall I think his stomach is feeling a lot better.  

Oh, I got my VITAMIX!!  I called the company and got a letter of medical necessity faxed from Tripp's pediatrician (Thanks, Patrice:) and got a very substantial discount :) Plus free overnight shipping.  And, that company has GREAT customer service, by the way.  And that's something you get very aware of after spending most of your day/life on the phone with doctors offices, insurance companies, supply companies, pharmacies... you get the point.  Anyway, it was refreshing to get some good help.  And I'm loving the Vitamix.  I can just throw in straight avacodos with some olive oil and a little whipping cream, or blend peanut butter with raisins and bananas:)  And then put it in ice trays and defrost what I need when he needs to eat.  For breakfast, though, every morning he gets a scrambled egg, some yobaby yogurt, a little 100% fruit juice/puree, some flax seed oil, and a few other special ingredients.  He is finally getting the calories and the protein he needs (I think:) and I'm feeling really good about it.  NO MORE SUGAR MALT!! ever!!

I also got some Duocal (a water-soluble calorie supplement) and another protein supplement called Pro-Stat 64 (again- Thank you Patrice... she's got one great nutritionist!).  So I'm hoping these supplements can help with some of his wound healing as well... but in EB-- you never know.  Sometimes those sores just won't heal.  Like I said, he still has sores from when he was a few months old that look exactly the same.  

His wound cultures came back with pseudomonas and another "water/soil" bug.  Dr. Defusco said the name, but it was real long.  She didn't act like it was really bad or that she was really surprised, but we both agreed that we should try and get him through at least a round of antibiotics.  The problem in the past has been the diarrhea.  He would start with MASSIVE diarrhea every 5 minutes... like water.  Well this time she started him on Cipro for 10 days.  And I'm not sure if it is the new feedings, or the fact that I bought a really expensive probiotic from the local whole health market... but he's doing great so far.  His stools are still loose (I know you wanted to know that), but no where near what they have been on antibiotics in the past... so hopefully we can get through a whole round of antibiotics this time!!

I say this with as much love as possible, but Tripp is officially a little rotten brat.  Ha.  We have definitely created a monster.  But, you know it's kind of hard to correct your child when 1.) he can't talk to express himself  2.) he has sores all over his body  3.) he's so darn, stinkin' cute.  I've just learned to accept the fact that I am going to have that rotten, bossy, fit-throwing little child that I said I would never have :)

No, really.  It's bad.  He knows exactly what he wants, when he wants it, where he wants it, and who he wants it with.  And he can't talk... but he can tell you exactly what he feels with his hands and his facial expressions.  He's now practically "hitting" you out of the way if you get in his "personal space."  It's secretly so cute, though... and can you blame him??  

But he does have his sweet moments, too... when he's tired:)  And he's finally starting to love his Mommy... which took a while.  He's signing "more" like a crazy man... especially when he wants us to ride him around in his car.  He can ride that car for seriously like hours around the house.  Grammy taught him how to roar like a lion:)  It's cute... If you say, "Don't scare me with that lion!", he opens his mouth and makes a little noise through his trach.  And thinks it's so funny.  He pretty much does something new every day... And lately, we've been resorting to buying him "music cards" because he has almost every toy on the shelf at Target and WalMart (And seriously, he has every single toy at CVS and Walgreens... I go there the most:) But you should see him dance to his music cards... he's hilarious.  He loves any type of music... whether you're singing to him or it's playing on the radio or TV.  

He is such a joy to be around.  And you know... I've spent a lot of time this year (secretly) feeling sorry for myself for not being able to leave the house or go out to dinner, or pretty much do anything but go to Target... but the more I think about it--- What is better than getting to spend all day with the best baby in the world?  Seriously... I was looking at him sleep last night and thinking that there was no place in the entire world that I would have rather been than right there with him.  I'm not the one missing out on things.  I'm the lucky one.  I'm the Mommy to one of God's angels.  What else was I put on this Earth to do?  Nothing.  

I love you guys.  Have a great week :)

He needs Mickey up close and personal.

The cutest butt you'll ever see.

Tripp's cousin Elizabeth.  I know- BE-U-TIFUL!!

I didn't think to get the camera out until he was really tired... so this is what I got!

On his knees!

Helping Mommy make his food... stove is not on, don't worry.

This was one of his best baths... dancing uncontrollably to Elmo.

This is HILARIOUS.  One of my favs.

Love,

Weekend Wrap Up (or what I can remember at least!)

This weekend flew by. I don't even remember what we did on Friday night besides order Jimmy John's. My mind is a mess. It could be because I read 47 pages of text dedicated to multicultural education and gender studies today {because that is a thrilling way to end a weekend...}.

But anyway, last night I travelled to the Lex to play hostess and raise a glass to this fine couple:

This is Allison & Ryan. The newlyweds-to-be who will tie the knot in a little less than 5 weeks. I am Allie's matron-of-honor, and hosted a stock-the-bar party with Meredith and Katie (pictured below). Allison, you look like quite the bridal angel in this pic with that light hitting your hair just so ;)

{Geez Louise, do I look tired in that pic above or what?!}

So, this coming week is looking like a carbon copy of this past week, crammed with a whole lotta school-related fare. Oh boy. At least I get to look forward to a three day weekend!

More tomorrow. Have a great Monday!

This is a boring post. Really.

I am starving. So, despite the fact that Jimmy John's is on it's way (thank goodness), I am having a graham cracker pre-dinner snack. {I totally love Jimmy John's, btw. And I'm having The Vegetarian, if you must know.} Teaching first graders pretty much makes me ravenous. They deplete you of your energy real fast, and I'm learning quickly that you can't survive on a mug of coffee and 2 Diet Cokes alone when you're at school from 6:45am-4:30pm. Not happening.

Anyway, it's going to be a great weekend. My boys are picking up dinner after they hit up The Depot (i.e. Home Depot), and tonight I might drink a glass of wine and convince B to watch The Time Traveller's Wife with me since we've had it from Netflix since July-ish(???). I might also bargain for a backrub. If he makes me choose (he will), I'm going with backrub. And wine.

Furthermore, I get to have a leisurely morning with my boys, grocery shop (there is NO food in this house), and get to host a bridal shower for one of my favorite couples tomorrow. I'm might throw some grad school homework in there too. Maybe. Studiousness isn't high on my priority list right now.

Also...

I can't wait to try out the MANY MANY MANY recipes you all sent my way! Amazing and much appreciated! Thank you!

And, lastly, as if I wasn't having a hard enough time transitioning into the whole working mom role, Becks had to tug at my heart strings when I called him at lunch today...

"I want to go home, Mommy," his little 2-year-old voice said.

I cried a little bit on my end. I miss him :(

It’s Just Thursday…

Found this idea on I Teach for a Living…
from Murdock's Mama. Too tired to come up with anything else, so I thought this would be fun J

Outside my window.. 70ish and dark.
The time is.. 9:52pm. Going to bed soon. No Jersey Shore drama for me tonight. DVR, how I love thee.
Today I feel.. spent. So much going on I can't think straight.
I am thinking.. about my husband having a conversation in Spanish with himself next to me as I type. Hola, Senor Gomez! Hola, Maricarmen!
At the moment, I am thankful..that God has given us the opportunity, ways, and means to do everything we're doing right now. It's a rough go right now, but I know it will get better.
I am going.. to bed. In about t-minus 6 minutes.
I am wearing.. um, I bet you could guess – my nightly uniform: Walmart Tank Top + leggings J
I wish.. that there were an additional 8-12 hours in the day, that I could spend the majority of my day with Becks, that fall would get here fast! I'm ready!
I am reading..
The Truth Behind the Death at Columbine (for a grad school class). Very interesting.
I am working on.. the better question is: what am I NOT working on?
I am hoping.. that Beckham will transition into preschool with little to no difficulty.
I am hearing.. B. Still. Hasta manana, Senor Valesco!
I bet you didn't know.. that B and I do NOT have text messaging on our phones. Yup, we don't text. Not one bit. And haven't in over five years. Saves money and, ahem, I hated getting into "disagreements" through texts. So we're text free!
One of my favorite…snacks is peanut butter and carrots. YUM!
My weekend plans include.. lovin' on my boys, homework, work-work, and a bridal shower! And lots and lots of coffee.

I love my boy.

While playing outside with Becks today, it occurred to me that I don't get to kiss him now near as much as I did two weeks ago or get to greet his fuzzy little bed head in the morning followed by a lazy snuggle. I miss my boy. An awful lot. It's just not the same getting to see him only {gulp} four hours a day. Typing that hurts. Four precious hours. That's all I get. Tears well up in my eyes just thinking about it, so I try not to think about it too often. But it's constantly in my mind. How can I not think about someone as cute and charming as he?

The picture quality is awful, but I'll take what I can get!

What I Wore Wednesday

Lots of work outfits posted today for What I Wore Wednesday. I'm playing along with Lindsey at The Pleated Poppy! Check her out :)

Dress - thrift
Dress- Goodwill
Leggings - Target (on sale for $5 this week!)
Kicks - Walmart

Dress - Goodwill
Tank - Walmart

Sweater - NY&Co.

Leggins - Target

Kicks - Cato

Sweater - J.Crew outlet
Yellow top - Goodwill
Pants - Goodwill
Flats - Target

Striped tunic - Goodwill
Belt - Macy's pre-Becks
Skinny pants - GAP
Sandals - Target (for $6 on clearance!)

A New Date Night...

There's nothing like spending a romantic evening gathered 'round the kitchen table reading about diversity in education while your husband does his algebra homework.

If this isn't sexy I don't know what is...

{Please note, I totally took this picture using the timer on the camera. But, really, this is how we spent the past two hours!}

coxsackievirus and other things

For the love. Becks has HFM (hand, foot, and mouth). Again.

If you want to be fancy, it's called coxsackievirus. {Thank you, Dr. Blomer}

When he practically leapt out of his chair when eating ketchup last night, I just knew something was up. The fever combined with blisters in his mouth, on his lips and feet further confirmed my diagnosis. And it's one of those spectacular viruses that lends itself to letting it run its course. Fantastic. Just please, virus, don't run your course for the next 7-10 days as the CDC suggests. Please err on the low-end and give us a break at 4 or 5. We're kinda busy in these parts and I really don't think I can handle another weekend full of Wiggles. M'kay? Thanks.

In other news, I had a swift trip through Target {alone} tonight, and had a mild panic attack in the shoe aisle. As I was browsing for a pair of smart flats to kick around in during the school day, I suddenly realized that I had not purchased the pair of shoes for a wedding that is a month away. The bride sent an email over a month ago making this request. Gah! I just about keeled over into the a rack of booties. So I raced a couple of aisles over {seriously race - as in Super Market Sweep style}, and find ONE pair of the shoes left in my size. ONE. But it doesn't matter because one pair was all I needed, and they are not only super cute but cost-friendly too at $19.99. LOVE. THEM. Wait until you see the dress I get to wear them with. Girl's got taste.

Besides shoes, I also bought Diet Coke, Bronzer, pretzels, and Ovaltine. And a pair of new Converses for Becks. And a 20 pack of hangers. And that is why you never go into Target expecting to leave buying just anything. Because you leave buying way more than you anticipated. I'm pretty sure I went there just to buy B some folders for school. {Sidenote: when I walked in from Walgreens last night he about died when I held up four primary colored notebooks and asked if I wanted his classmates to know he was married to an elementary school teacher. He he :)}

Lastly, I need you all to supply me with some go-to quick-and-easy meals because this working momma fed her boys buttered noodles tonight, and I just don't forsee that cutting it for the next 2-3 years. We're talking 3-4 ingredients max with stuff I likely have or buy regularly. Don't go all white cooking wine on me. I need easy and available. All suggestions will be much appreciated.

Happy Monday :)

Enough of the bug.

Becks is still down for the count with some kind of bug. He's fairly tempermental, to put it mildly. This means that he pretty much gets to dictate when and if B and I so much as move from the couch, how many episodes of Wiggles we will watch (8+ hours - but who's counting?), and decide that donut icing is all he will eat for breakfast. I probably would have offered him a coke if he'd asked. It's called survival mode.

Despite being verbal, it's still difficult to know what - if anything - is bothering him. And that's frustrating for everyone. Does his head hurt? Tummy? Ears? Throat? Your guess is as good as mine.

{Sidenote: He just requested more Wiggles, and then changed his mind as I was pressing play. To Caillou. Possibly the most annoying preschooler I have ever met in my life. And I have met a lot of annoying preschoolers. Ugh.}

Here's to happier days. And hopefully only a 48 hour bug.

{PS. Go check out Lea Liz's shower curtain giveaway! Cuuuuute!}

Randomness...

It's been a busy week.  Tripp hasn't been the greatest he's ever been- just still junky with a constant runny nose and on and off low-grade temps.  We went to Dr. Defusco (pediatrician) on Wednesday.  He is really due his 15 mo. shots, but instead she did some wound cultures on some of his draining sores and we talked about nutrition- thank God.  So she pretty much said that he is "failure to thrive."  Which means he's not growing like he should be.  Which I knew- but still isn't easy to hear. 

 My frustration is- why hasn't anyone been more concerned about this until now??  It's not really Dr. Defusco's job, you know.  I've been trying to find a decent nutritionist for months now... and no one is interested in taking the time (yes, I admit- it takes A LOT of time).  But that's their job, right?  Well up until now I've been giving him the Pediasure because the dietician SWORE he was getting all the nutrition he needed with it.  Well, yeah sure... a NORMAL child might be getting all the nutrition he needs, but once again- Tripp is NOT NORMAL.  

Why haven't I had the chance to deal with it and do this myself before now??  Well, because I've pretty much been focused on keeping him alive- you know... trach issues, fever, wounds, corneal abrasions, contact changes, eye surgery, preventing infection... stuff like that.  So, sure the easy way was to trust the dietician and shove 5 meals of 120 calorie-vanilla MALT down his feeding tube.  Well, I'm done with that.  I took it upon myself to start blending his food.  Dr. Defusco totally agreed with this.  We sat down and realized that he was only getting about 720 calories a day and not nearly enough protein.  First of all, he uses most of his calories to breathe and TRY to heal... and the little bit of protein he's getting is surely not enough to grow and heal (not saying his sores would even heal with more protein, but at least they would have a chance).  It's going to take me a while to get this together and to be comfortable with it- but what I realized is that I can't hurt him in any way by doing this-  if anything he will be getting more calories than before.  

So I called Patrice, Jonah's mom.  She has been blending Jonah's meals for a while now and has beautifully organized spreadsheets that she sent to me.  I think it's cruel that we can't live closer to each other to be able to help each other out... but thanks again, Patrice. I don't know what I would have done without your organization skills :)  

So far, it's been going okay.  I'm still experimenting and trying different things... but I'll get the hang of it soon.  Right now, I am using a Magic Bullet to blend, but soon plan on purchasing a super duper Vitamix!!  That way I can blend just about anything.  Right now I'm doing a random mix of things like avacado, baby meats, steamed vegetables, yogurts, fruit, protein powder, aloe vera juice, barley green, flaxseed oil... anything nutritious, high-calorie, and high protein.  He doesn't have NEAR the belly-aches he was having before.  Now we will just have to see if he starts gaining a little more weight.  He was right at 20 lbs. on Wednesday and has been about the same weight for a few months.  I'm also able to get more calories in him in a day (still the 5 feedings, though... because he can't tolerate high volumes), so I am able to run just water in his feeding tube at night.  That's another thing... I was shoving so much Pediasure in him, by that the time I was finished feeding him, he was too full to flush with a bunch of water.  But he definitely needs a great amount of water because he's losing so much fluid through his wounds. 

Anyway, so that's where we are on the feeding stand point.  I should be getting the results of his wound cultures in by Monday.  I'm pretty sure there will be something there and that we are going to try and have to get through a whole round of antibiotics.  Especially since he's been running a little fever.  I think we just need to at least try and see if he can get through one round and see if that helps him at all.  If I can keep the probiotics in him... and this new diet, maybe we can fight the diarrhea to a point where it's somewhat tolerable.  

I've been in pretty much a "closet funk" lately, I think.  I just feel like the older he gets, the more he realizes that he's different.  Call me crazy if you want... but I think he knows that he "looks different" and that he can't talk and we can... and that he has to be wrapped up and we aren't.  It's tough.  And it's just getting harder to see other babies and to be around other children.  Not for my selfish reasons, but just because I hate that he has to endure all of this- all the pain, the sitting inside and not being able to enjoy things that normal kids can.  When I rock him... which is A LOT-  I just stare at him, not even being able to imagine how much pain he is really in.  I know he looks like the happiest little baby from his pictures and videos (and don't get me wrong- he's happy most of the time).. but that doesn't mean he's not in constant pain.  When I look at his little finger tips, and his toes... or the sores in his mouth and around his feeding tube (I could go on for days with the spots that hurt him)- it HURTS me so much.  And yes I'm strong, yes I can deal with it, yes I will survive-  but sometimes I really feel like I'm headed to a mental institution.  It weighs on you when you watch your child suffer every single day and you can't do a thing about it.  Yes, I have a lot of patience... but there are times when I literally want to punch my fist into the wall and say a million really bad words.  It's just something you can't even fathom unless you live it every single day.  Okay... I'll shut up.  

On a brighter note, I'm pretty sure my beautiful sister- Tripp's nanny- is coming down for a visit in September (maybe if I write this, she will feel really guilty and HAVE to come).  I am sooooooo excited.  She's only been gone since June, but I feel like it's been 2 years since I've seen her (we have an extremely close family)... She's in Minot, ND.  Yes... that is about 28 hours from here.  Not just a hop, skip, and a jump away.  So please, Nanny, if you're reading this.  Book a ticket, already :) Thanks, Uncle Mike... we miss you too, by the way. 

Oh yeah... and when we went to the pediatrician, she "re-scared" me about all of the things that start going around when the school year starts.  Sooo... if you are sick, if there's a 10% chance you could be sick, or if there's a 10% chance that you've been around someone that could be sick.... we love you, but please... kindly don't come see Tripp.   This is NOT something I like doing... but we need to be very cautious all the time and especially during school time- that he does not catch anything.  From chicken pox to just a cold.  Either could kill him-  yes that's harsh.... and yes it's the truth.  SO if you do come see Tripp- please make sure you're germ-free as can be- and don't forget to wash your hands :)  We are trying to teach him to "sign" this... so I don't have to keep reminding people :)

Well, that's it for now... sorry no pictures.  I'll try and do a "picture" post within the next few days.  

OH, and I got my book Bella's Blessings in today.  I've already read 3 chapters.  DID YOU BUY YOURS YET??  See the below post!!!

Love,

Saturandomday.

Saturday is such a random day for blog posting and reading. Mostly because people have better things to do on Saturdays than to be on the internet. But, since it's 8:59am on Saturday and Becks isn't awake yet (the results of adjusting to his new schedule, I'm sure) and I've already got the laundry going and I'm not quite ready wrap my mind around anything remotely school-related...I'm blogging :)

And it's going to be a way random post because no one is probably going to read it anyway!

Jillian, the tanks from Walmart are the Faded Glory brand, but Miley makes a comparable alternative (with cuter patterns!) if you can't find the FG ones. However, you might spend $6 instead of $3.50 :)

Chelsea, Brandon is going back to school to work with animals. He's not sure in what capacity yet, but he knows that his passion is animals and that he wants to be in an occupation that allows him to work with them. Thus, the university he is attending has recommended a general degree in biology, and then possibly transferring to a different school that offers a more focused program.

Shubs, what on earth are you doing up so early on a Saturday morning?! And, yes, of course you have Gold Member Follower status - whether or not you read that early :)

I'm pretty sure I bought most of my fall wardrobe at Goodwill last night at the 50% off clothes sale. I love the thrill of the hunt and the a receipt that reads $32.18 for 10 new pieces :)

We're supposed to go tour campus today and get our books for our classes. My program is still online but B will spend from 10am-4pm every MWF for the next 4 months on campus.

Figures: Becks just woke up. On fire. Temperature of 101.2. Lovely. Has to be the back-to-school germies. But, on the plus side, he took his bubblegum meds with no problems and his hair looks like this, making him easily the cutest sick puppy ever:

Happy Saturday!

E.X.H.A.U.S.T.E.D.

I'm pretty sure there is going to come a point - soon - when I hit the proverbial wall. You know, the one you run into after your go! go! go! mentality backfires and leaves you a big crying, crumpling, snotty mess of emotions and exhaustion. I can just tell that's the direction I'm heading in and I need to be proactive and chill out before it happens. However, my mind is still go! go! going! so it's difficult to rationalize with a body that's pleading for sleep and relaxation.

It's 9:34pm and I've literally just sat down for the day besides when I was sitting in a very un-ergonomic chair to read Beezus and Romona during read-aloud around 1pm. From leaving the house at 6:45am, to picking up Becks at 4:30pm, to coming home to make dinner, to bathing Becks and reading stories, to straightening up the house, to folding and running loads of laundry, to making a trek to Walmart for necessities (i.e toilet paper) to unloading the dishwasher, to getting everything ready for go-time in the morning, I AM SPENT. Holy cow. My legs are throbbing and my lids are drooping. If I didn't find some serenity in journaling, I wouldn't be blogging right now. But this is an important transitional period in my life and one I want well-documented so that the day B graduates from college I can pump a triumphant fist in the air and say It all was worth it!

I thank God that this has only been a three-day school week. I'm going to need Saturday and Sunday to recover and love on my boys. Because I'm having to take whatever time I can get with the Beckster, he sat on the counter while I made dinner, happy as a clam to be close to his momma and eat dry rice grains. Love his heart.

Tomorrow is B's last day of work at a company he's worked for for the past 5 years. Ironically enough, he will start his new college career 10 years after he initially began his pursuit of a college degree. So proud of him for going back. {Cheers to the next Steve Irwin, B.}

And, for today, that is all she wrote. TGIF.

PS. Maybe I bought 2 more $3.50 tank tops at Walmart tonight... I am clearly an addict.

T.I.R.E.D.

I made it! We made it.

While Becks spent an activity-filled day with his Papa K, I had a reunion of sorts with my former, now-new, class. The day flew by. My legs are tired and my tongue is burnt {from scarfing down a way-too-hot Healthy Choice since my lunch time was all of 9 minutes after I saw my first graders through the lunch line for the first time}. Naturally, I was overplanned, hyper-caffeneited (2 cups of coffee + 2 Diet Cokes), and apparently I talked too much because my throat is getting that scratchy feeling.

{Sidenote: Despite having my tonsils out when I was 19, which, by the way was the most horrendous experience of my life - ranking only second in pain to childbirth - I will undoubtedly contract strep throat sometime during the first two months of school. It has something to do with a new batch of germies every year - probably from tying shoes, holding hands, and merely being within 100 yards of the building.}

So, the first day is over and I am exhausted. I missed my former assistant desperately and may have visited my old kindergarten team and gave them all hugs before the day began. I may have fought back a tear or two also.

But tomorrow is Day Two and the countdown is on: 179 days of school until Summer Vacation :)

What I Wore Wednesday

It's embarrassing how many Walmart tank tops I own, much less wore in one week, so don't look for a lot of diversity in these outfits. It's probably been 100 degrees or near 100 degrees for the past week. And the only reason I'm wearing a sweater and jeans in one of the pics is because we had an in-service and, teachers hear me out on this, the library is always a chilly 35 degrees no matter the season. Amen? Anyway, I'm linking up to What I Wore Wednesday with the Pleated Poppy. Play along if you like! pink tank - do I even need to say it?

black clamdiggers - Haystacks

black sweater - NY&Co.

top - a cast-off from my sister {AE}

skinny jeans - thrift {Old Navy}

slip-ons - Walmart

dress - Gap circa 2004!

belt - Target clearance

wedges - hmmmm?

dress - thrift {Old Navy}

leggings - cast-off from my other sister

And, no matter what I start the day in, I usually wind up in some variations of leggings and a tank top. Just keepin' it real :)

white tank - Walmart

leggings - Target

'Twas the day before school starts...

...and this is what I've spent naptime doing:

But, I'm finished! My room is ready, folders are stuffed, activities are organized and everything is ready to go. I'm pretty sure I won't sleep much tonight {not that I have been sleeping much anyway} and I'll probably wake up before my alarm even goes off. Some of that will be due to stress, but I am excited too! There's something so fun and rejuvenating about starting fresh into a new school year.

Teacher Idea: We're kicking off an author study about Kevin Henkes (I loooove him!), so we're going to read Chrysanthemum tomorrow and then make a name map that spotlights things that we love. {I borrowed this idea from Teaching Heart - another stellar site!} Here is my sample for the kiddos:

Tomorrow also kicks off this...

...and it's all going to be okay, right?

I truly appreciate your sweet comments on yesterday's post. Good to know I have the support of my bloggy friends :)

If I have the time and energy tomorrow I hope to post, and I'll still be linking up to What I Wore Wednesday with The Pleated Poppy.